


Through A New Lens

by kt_rose28



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Committed Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 17:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17585369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kt_rose28/pseuds/kt_rose28
Summary: David is forced to bring his glasses out of retirement, much to his dismay. The “nerdy” look is not a part of his aesthetic.





	1. Chapter 1

“David, you’ve been in there for like, over an hour, open up!” 

David groans at his sister’s persistent knocking, but his eyes don’t leave the mirror in front of him. Picking out his daily outfit was a process that could never be rushed, no matter how many times Alexis vowed to “literally end him”. He’s gotten accustomed to her pathetic, empty threats. After five years of sharing a room at the motel, nothing could phase him now. 

“Wow, you can read a clock? Would never expect that from someone who majored in pubic relations!” 

Right on cue, the banging stops, and he hears angry stomping move away from the door. David smirks in satisfaction, priding himself in his beloved gift of crippling sarcasm. His snarky comments never failed to leave Alexis fuming, buying himself a little extra time. 

David runs his hand through his hair, before stepping back to admire his work. In addition to a pair of black jeans and his signature Chucks, he decided on a black sweater with small pearls lining the collar. Straightening the bottom hem, his mind happily drifted back to the last time he’d worn it. 

After an especially successful day of sales, he and Patrick found themselves resting on the couch they kept out of sight in the backroom. It was nice to finally have some alone time, since the store had been constantly packed with customers. David sighed contently, placing his head on Patrick’s shoulder. Patrick leaned in to kiss David’s cheek, softy gliding his fingers across the row of pearls. When his hand reached David’s heart, Patrick pulled him into a tight hug. And they stayed that way for what felt like hours. 

Thinking about that simple moment still takes David’s breath away weeks later. Patrick had been at a business convention the past ten days, and his absence made David’s heart ache. There was no one to bring him coffee on early mornings, steal flirty glances with across the store, or hug from behind during inventory. David never realized how much excitement Patrick brought to his life, and wanted to look his absolute best when his boyfriend finally returned home today. 

His dreamy state was interrupted by the bathroom door swinging wide open. David scrunched up his face, realizing he forgot how proficient his sister was at picking locks. 

“Scooch, David!” Alexis demands, barging her way towards the sink, “You’ve been hogging the bathroom for too long!” 

David lets himself get pushed from the mirror. At least, he was just about ready to head to work. 

“Why the urgent need to brush your teeth, Alexis?” David asks, double knotting his shoelaces. “You don’t exactly have anywhere important to be!”

Alexis scowls at him, her lips pursed tightly around her toothbrush. After she spits into the sink, she turns to face David.

“If you must know, I have an extremely important conference call with a potential client. While you will be making out with your boyfriend in the backroom all day, I will at least be getting actual work done!” 

David rolls his eyes, reaching for his contacts on the counter. “I hate to burst your bubble, Alexis. But, I don’t think people can smell your breath through your cell phone!” 

In response, Alexis flips her hair in David’s face, knocking the clear lens out of his hand. They both watch, mouths agape, as the contact falls into the sink and disappears down the drain. 

“Alexis, what the fuck?!” David shouts, chucking a hairbrush in her direction. His sister narrowly ducks from the object and bolts out of the bathroom. David wants to run after her, but knows he needs to leave the motel quickly in order to be there when Patrick gets back. He frantically grabs the contact box and shakes it over the counter. When the container comes up empty, David swears under his breath. He had forgotten to order more earlier this week, his mind being preoccupied by Patrick’s return. He nervously plays with rings, while pacing the floor. This situation was far from ideal. 

Much to his dismay, Alexis reappears in the doorway, cautiously peeking her head into the bathroom. 

“Listen, David. I’m sorry about your contacts. I’ll admit that was uncool of me to do, even though you were acting like a complete dickhead”.

Alexis’ apology makes David uneasy, but he still turns around to face her. “What do you want?”

She moves one of her hands from behind her back to reveal a pair of glasses, then places them in his hands. 

“I found these in your dresser and thought they might help. And I promise I’ll lay off on calling you ‘four eyes’...to the best of my ability”. 

David’s pretty sure he hadn’t worn his glasses since high school. He has always been insecure about the way they framed his face, and they undoubtedly served as great source material for relentless bullies. Those were times that David never wanted to revisit. Yet, here he was. 

He shoves the glasses into the front pocket of his bag, and storms out of the bathroom. He doesn’t plan on wearing them anytime soon, but knows he’s should take them just in case. 

“Your breath still stinks, Alexis! ” he calls out behind him, before slamming the motel door shut. He hears an irritated groan from inside the room, causing him to smirk as he makes his way to the store.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David prepares the store for Patrick's return home. While he tries his best to hide his little secret, Patrick's reaction (as well as his own) is not what he expects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update this story! I got such bad writer's block that I actually wrote another fic (When You're Ready) in between posting these two chapters! But, I finally had time to finish this over spring break and I'm really happy with the results. Enjoy!!

When David finally makes it to Rose Apothecary, he slumps against the door and sighs in relief. The incident that took place that morning with his contacts significantly delayed his departure from the motel. However, the stillness of the store and the faint scent from yesterday’s candle allows David to relax slightly. He’s cutting it dangerously close to Patrick’s flight landing, but luckily has just enough time to open up before he arrives. 

David knows that his boyfriend was hesitant to be out of town for so long. After he left for the airport, there was undoubtedly tension lingering in the air. David could still vividly remember the way Patrick’s jaw clenched and arms tensed around him during their kiss goodbye. As much as David did not like to admit it, he understands Patrick has the right to be nervous. Patrick was in charge of most business decisions, while David took creative control. Before this trip, David had never been solely responsible for the store for longer than a day. And, it didn’t help that the last time David had a shift by himself, he up sold an unarmed robber and the humiliation followed him for weeks following the event. This was the perfect opportunity to regain Patrick’s trust and impress his boyfriend with his growth. 

The sight of boxes stacked high brings him back from his anxiety-ridden thoughts. After all Patrick has done for their business, the least David can do is ensure all of the new inventory is on display before the first rush of customers. 

The task takes a surprisingly short amount of time. Without Patrick’s swoon-worthy smile to distract him, the shelves around the store quickly fill up with items. This week, he has been flooded with customers and much of the merchandise needed to be restocked. He could not wait to shared this news with Patrick. While David places the final products on a table near the back, he hears a soft jingle of a bell behind him. His heart jumps when he sees his boyfriend leaning against the door frame. Patrick’s usual polished look is replaced by a partially untucked dress shirt and ruffled hair. David feels an ache in the pit of his stomach, realizing truly how much he had missed him. His appearance sparks memory of the days leading up to the trip, where he spent the night more frequently at his apartment. He loved waking up beside Patrick, getting to see him all sweet and disheveled. 

After Patrick sets his suitcase down, a sleepy grin appears on his face and he begins to make his way towards him. Before he can take another step, David meets him at the front counter and pulls him into a long, passionate kiss. He feels Patrick’s initial surprise against his lips, but he soon melts into the gesture and wraps his arms around David’s waist. 

When they finally part, David’s eyes flutter open, wanting to lovingly admire Patrick’s face. Instead, there is a fuzzy image before him that only slightly resembles his boyfriend. He initially blames it on being disoriented from their intense kiss, yet quickly remembers his lack of contacts are the culprit. All of his features appear distorted, which instills a feeling of uneasiness that David attempts to suppress. Patrick luckily turns his focus away from David before he could become suspicious, and faces the counter beside them.

“Are these for us?” Patrick asks, his affection causing his voice to slightly rise in pitch.

David lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and relaxes into a grin. On his way to the store, he had just enough time to grab their regular orders from the Cafe. David prided himself on remembering the exact tea he liked, which earned applause from Twyla that morning. 

As they both take the first sip of their drinks, David’s eyebrows lift in confusion and he pulls the cup away immediately. This definitely was not his usual latte. 

“Ugh, just when I thought the Cafe Tropical couldn’t get worse in quality. How did they manage to make this coffee taste...watery? You know I have a three sweetener minimum.” He hears Patrick chuckle into his lid and hands his drink to him. 

“I think we are in need of a swap, David. Are you sure you read those names right?”

David looks down in fear at the beverages and sees two identical-looking cups. Upon closer examination, he realizes they both have small letters written in Sharpie. All he could see are blurry squiggles. David nervously chuckles underneath his breath, but knows he unsuccessfully masked his panic by the concerned look washing over his boyfriend’s face. Patrick places his hand on David’s cheek, his thumb rubbing softly underneath his jawbone. Usually, this move calms his nerves, but David can tell his heartbeat is increasing in speed. How is he going to explain all of his tension about something as small as mixing up their drinks? The last thing David wants is to reveal to Patrick is what he looks like as an unfortunate “four-eyes”. 

“Is everything ok?” Patrick asks, his voice sparked with worry. David cringes as Patrick slides his hand lower down his face. His fingertips reach a spot on his neck where Patrick can easily detect his quickening pulse. This realization makes Patrick’s eyes soften, and he cups his hand thoughtfully in David’s hair. There is nowhere to hide now. 

“Everything is fine” David reluctantly reassures, setting the drinks down and resting his arms on Patrick’s shoulders. He desperately wants to look away, but Patrick has the adorable, yet painful skill of pulling him in every time. “I am just really happy to see you. I haven’t gotten much sleep the past couple nights, and I think it’s all finally catching up to me”.

While this is partially true, David will do everything in his power to avoid admitting the full reason for his distress. He nervously studies Patrick’s face, sighing in relief when worry leaves his boyfriend’s expression. 

“I love you so much, David”, Patrick mutters in a low voice, wrapping his arms around him into a deep hug. Even though he hears Patrick say these words often, each time causes his stomach to dip. He still can’t believe how lucky he is to be with him: the most caring, understanding, beautiful person he’s ever met. Patrick’s lips softly kiss where David’s sweater meets his neck. 

“Since we have a few minutes before the store officially opens”, Patrick whispers against his shoulder, “maybe I can show you how much I missed you?” David notices Patrick’s eyes dart desperately at the backroom, which leaves a shiver down his spine. He would always leap at the chance of spending some alone time with his boyfriend, especially after being apart for so long.

As Patrick takes his hand and leads him behind the counter, David feels a sharp pain jutting against his skull. He shuts his eyes tightly and winces, his hand leaving Patrick’s to massage his temple. 

He forgot how intense his migraines are, when he didn’t have his contacts in. He tried his best to avoid wearing glasses during school, which usually led to prolonged visits to the nurse’s office and having a large supply of Advil in his locker. There’s a reason he did not want to revisit those dark days.

A sudden grasp of two hands around his waist bring David back from his spiral. Nausea took over his senses, as he struggled to stand up straight. 

“Hey, I’ve got you. You’re ok”, Patrick reassures, grabbing a stool from behind the front desk. David sighs in relief when he finally sits down, but the feeling is short lived. Patrick pacing nervously sparks fear in his stomach.

“You really don’t look so good”, Patrick admits, finally getting a thorough look of him, “Do you think I should call a doctor?” 

“No, no! I promise you that I’m going to be fine!” Much to his dismay, David’s words fail him when he groans at another sharp pain from his temple. 

“Listen, David. I am really sorry I left you at the store by yourself for so long”. Patrick walks closer to David, rubbing his hand comfortingly on his back, “It’s a lot of responsibility, and I can only imagine how overwhelming that could be”. 

David feels a twinge of guilt, as anger begins to build inside him. He knows Patrick is simply trying to understand what’s wrong, which makes complete sense after his near collapse. But, he can’t help but feel a little upset that his boyfriend automatically assumes he can’t handle the pressure of business. He was the one who started the store after all!

“I think I have some Advil stored in the backroom. I’ll be right back, alright?”

David nods weakly, squeezing his eyes tight to block the sunlight that was beginning to stream through the windows. 

After a moment, he tentatively opens his eyes to survey his surroundings. Unfortunately, he is still behind the counter of his store, instead of back in bed where David wishes he was. Before this whole nightmare of a day began.

The majority of items on the desk are blurry, but he can faintly make out a small glass bottle with a blue label. He recognizes it as his daily eye cream, and pours a small amount on his hands. Patrick’s quickness to believe his lack of sleep makes him nervous of how pathetic he looks. After such an unfortunate reunion, he can’t take any chances. 

“Sorry I took so long. I couldn’t find Advil, but I got-” Patrick stops mid-sentence, eyes widening as he approaches him, “David what are you doing?”

“It might feel like I’m dying, but maybe fixing the bags under my eyes will help me look less like I’m dying” David explains, gently rubbing the cream above his cheekbones. He’s expecting a laugh at his dramatics, so the silence that follows his comment concerns him. A look that David can only guess as terror refuses to leave Patrick’s face, which confuses David to a new degree. “Why, what’s wrong?”

”Well, I don’t think that new shipment of foot cream is going to do you any favors”.

Panic rises in David, as he squints to attempt to read the label. He still cannot see any of the words, but upon closer examination, the bottle’s label is a slightly different shade of blue and the contents feel heavier in his hand. 

“Holy shit!” David yelps, standing up unsteadily, “I need to go to the bathroom and clean this off!” He had luckily avoided Patrick seeing him after the poison ivy incident. David didn’t want to begin imagining what a chemical reaction on his face could look like! 

“No!”, Patrick blocks David and gently settles him back down on the stool. “You stay here and rest and I’ll be back with a washcloth”. 

David opens his mouth to object, but Patrick places his hands firmly on his shoulders to silence him. “Please, just don’t touch anything else. Ok?” Patrick is close enough that he can tell Patrick’s eyes are pleading, staring into David’s until he nodded in agreement. 

When Patrick disappears into the bathroom, David begrudgingly unzips the front of his bag and pulls out his glasses. He has a little while before his boyfriend returns and with every passing second, his worries about his face are intensifying.

Tension leaves his shoulders, as he finally slips on his glasses and his vision clears. He feels more secure and in control, now that he’s aware of his surroundings. The relief continues, after he turns the bottle around in his palm and reads the ingredients. As long as the cream did not make direct contact with his eyes, he was golden. Everything was going to be fine. 

“Well, what do we have here?”

David snaps his neck up in the direction of the voice, being greeted by a smug-looking Patrick. Any fear he possessed just minutes before was replaced by an expression of pure amusement, biting his lip to stifle a grin. 

The glasses come off in a panic, as he quickly shoves them into his bag. “You weren’t supposed to see that!” David explains, nervously laughing into his lap.

“Wasn’t supposed to see what?” Patrick asks, feigning innocence in the easy, teasing tone of his voice.

David lets his head fall back toward the ceiling and groans in frustration. “It’s just this current situation is making me feel very vulnerable and...exposed”, he admits, flailing his hands around to emphasize his point. “This was all kind of sprung on me, thanks to your little mouse feet!”

Patrick attempts to conceal his chuckle behind his hand, but his smile peaks through his fingers. “Sorry, I didn’t announce my entrance”, Patrick says, without any morsel of sincerity, “Should I come back another time or-“

“You are not helping!” David exclaims, grabbing the washcloth from Patrick. He wants to rub the excess cream from his face, but it’s mostly to hide from Patrick and his cheekiness. “It’s way too early in the relationship for you to see me in this...state!”

“David, can we at least talk about this?” Patrick questions, his voice wavering slightly, “I didn’t realize how upset this made you”. 

David purses his lips in annoyance, but eventually removes the rag from his eyes and faces him. “If you think we must”. 

Patrick places the washcloth on the counter and turns toward David, a fond look overtaking his face. “And don’t hate me, but I think you’re going to have to put those back on”. Patrick says, glancing down at David’s bag. “While I love the attention you are giving my lips right now, I think this conversation would go better if you could actually see my eyes”. 

David feels his cheeks grow hot, as he leans down to grab his glasses. He isn’t surprised his attempt at eye contact is unsuccessful, but he is still mortified nonetheless. 

Being able to see Patrick’s face steadies David’s nerves quite a bit. They wordlessly decide it’s best to continue in the backroom, where they could have a little more privacy. When they are settled on the couch, Patrick just stares at David, intently studying his face for what seems like hours. It takes all of his effort not to run away in a panic. 

“So, I need glasses”, David admits, gesturing to his face. He cringes at how stupid his words must sound, as they clumsily leave his mouth. 

Patrick chuckles under his breath. “I can see that, David. You made that exceptionally clear by what just happened a couple minutes ago”. 

As much as David hates being teased, he feels a sense of relief that worry has been completely erased from his boyfriend’s face.

“It’s just that wearing glasses reminds me of my high school days, which was not the most enjoyable time for me...if you can imagine”.

“Huh”, Patrick says, tilting his head in false apprehension, “I just find it hard to believe that you were made fun of for wearing them. They’re pretty common, you know”. 

“It wasn’t just the fact that I wore glasses, Patrick”, he huffs, starting to lose his patience, “The problem is that the last time I wore them, I was devastatingly unhappy!”

All traces of smugness quickly leave Patrick’s face, as the words linger in the air. They sit in silence for a few minutes, until Patrick snakes an arm around his waist. 

“David, I’m really sorry. I just-“

“It’s not your fault”, David reassures, guilt twisting a knot in his stomach. “It’s just having millionaires for parents as a teenager didn’t exactly live up to the hype”, he explains, attempting a small smile. Patrick sees through the act and leans over to place a gentle kiss to his temple. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to”, Patrick clarifies, never leaving David’s gaze, “We can drop it for another time. Up to you”. 

David smiles gratefully, but he realizes he wants to tell Patrick, even if the truth is painful. 

“People liked to take advantage of me and my status. I would give them invites to parties and buy them expensive things, but they didn’t want friendship in return. Or me, to be completely honest”. He stops to clear his throat, struggling to get the words to leave his mouth. 

The look of pure devastation that Patrick has hurts David to the core. He hates how mentioning his past life sparks so much hurt in his boyfriend’s eyes. It was never his intent to inspire pity; he just hates the idea of keeping things from Patrick. He deserves to know every part of him, even the ugly bits. 

“My parents were rarely home, and Alexis was...who knows where”, he continues, fidgeting in his seat, “which basically left me all by myself and extremely lonely”. 

David didn’t expect himself to get emotional about something that happened so long ago, but he feels a tear begin to roll down his cheek. Patrick’s grip around his waist grows tighter, which gives him the strength to keep going. 

“I was in a really dark place for a while, but I’m ok now”, David says, sniffling a little, “I had these designer glasses during high school, and I try my best to not wear them now. It brings back a lot of bad memories”. 

Patrick is quiet for a few seconds, struggling on how to respond. “You deserved so much better, David. Does your family know how long you felt this way?”

The question seems to take David by surprise, which makes Patrick sadder that no one had ever asked him this before. “I never really mentioned it to them. It’s not like we’ve had much of a choice in the matter, but we’ve gotten a lot closer these past couple years. It’s been good for us, but I’m not going to lie, it still sometimes bothers me”. 

“You should talk to them”, Patrick proposes, “They probably had no idea you felt so alone, and would appreciate you coming to them. The closure would be really good for you too”.

David shifts uncomfortably where he’s sitting, but nods at the suggestion. Patrick can tell he really does not want to talk about it anymore, so he decides to shift the focus. 

“I understand how you feel about your glasses,” Patrick says, moving his hands up to massage David’s shoulders, “I have things in my life too that remind me of my past, and at times it can be painful to be around them”. 

David turns to face Patrick, giving him an inquisitive look. “You’ve never mentioned anything to me before”, he says softly. 

Patrick nods, glancing down self-consciously at his lap. “Whenever Rachel and I would breakup, I would write her a song to win her back. It always worked”, he admits, laughing nervously.

“But from the time we broke up for good to when I first met you, I could barely pick up my guitar. It reminded me of a lot of the confusion and sadness I experienced before I moved here”.

It’s now Patrick’s turn to get misty-eyed. He attempts to hide his tears by quickly wiping them on his shirt sleeve. David can’t help but plant a chaste kiss on his forehead, earring a small smile from Patrick. 

“After we starting dating though, everything changed”, he says, resting his head on David’s shoulder. “The feelings I have when I’m with you come out so naturally when I play music. It become fun and...almost therapeutic. The open mic night at the store was direct proof of that. You are quite inspiring, you know?” 

The comment is successful in making David blush, his cheeks reaching a deep shade of red. “I had an inkling”, he says bashfully, his voice muffled in Patrick’s hair. 

And for a few minutes, they stay this way, taking comfort in the silence of the backroom. Patrick notices that since he got back that morning, David’s heart rate had been beating faster than usual. When he feels that it’s now back to normal, a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. David’s back was moving up and down slowly, indicating his breaths were no longer shallow. 

“As much as I’m enjoying this,” Patrick says, standing up from the couch, “We were supposed to open about 20 minutes ago. I should probably unlock the door”. 

When David joins him, Patrick places a gentle hand on his arm. 

“Are you sure you’re up for working today? I’d be more than happy to cover for you, if you aren’t comfortable-“

“It’s fine”, David reassures, cutting him off, “After talking about it, I feel better. I think I can wear them today...as long as that’s ok with you?”

Patrick’s eyes momentarily flicker with light, as he stares softly at his face. He tries to hide his excitement quickly with a cough, before responding in a low voice. “I would be ok with that”. 

David tilts his head in amusement. “You actually sound more than ok, Patrick. Any particular reason why?” 

The blush starting to form on Patrick’s cheeks speak volumes, but he eventually squeaks out “I’m just happy you feel well enough to work today. That’s all”.

“Hmm”, David responds, twisting his lips in a smug grin, “So this has nothing to do with...any specific change in my appearance?” When he had stood up from the couch, his glasses had become slightly crooked. Patrick gulps, as David slowly readjusts them. 

“So maybe,” Patrick begins uncertainty, wrapping his arms around David’s waist, “I think my boyfriend looks absolutely breathtaking in his designer glasses”. 

The admission makes David smile from ear to ear, earning an eye roll and groan from his boyfriend.

“So you wouldn’t be opposed to me pulling these out more often?” David asks, his grin refusing to leave his face. “Like at the store? Around the apartment? In bed while-” 

“I think you’ve made your point, David!” Patrick interrupts, letting go off him and disappearing behind the curtain. 

After a few seconds, Patrick turns around to find David pouting, his face dripping in fake devastation. 

“Ok, ok”, Patrick laughs, finding his way back into David’s arms, “I think we can make that work”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment below about the chapter or overall feelings about season five! I would love to hear what everyone is thinking, as we head into the final two episodes :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y’all! I thought of this idea earlier today, and already finished the first chapter! Hopefully, I’ll have the next part done in the coming week. I’m excited to write Patrick’s reaction to this whole...situation lol lmk what you guys think :)


End file.
